Sunderland man exposed himself to ‘distressed’ elderly grandmother

Chris Maxwell

A pervert dad deliberately exposed himself to an elderly grandmother - before ‘concocting’ a defence to the charge.

Paul Surtees, 37, flashed the pensioner, who cannot be named for legal reasons, on four separate occasions, leaving her ‘distressed’ and unable to speak, a court heard.

You intentionally exposed yourself to her.

Derek Moss

Surtees, of Ribbel Road, Sunderland, denied four counts of exposing his genitals, intending that someone would see them and be caused alarm or distress, during a two-day trial part heard at both Sunderland and South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court.

But magistrates in South Tyneside convicted him of all four offences after concluding his evidence was not credible.

Giving evidence via videolink during the trial, the complainant said Surtees had rolled up his shorts to expose his genitals and on another occasion had pulled down the waistband of his trousers to expose himself.

She said in evidence; “I thought ‘why is he doing it?’ I just kept it to myself for a long time.

“It’s never left my mind since it first happened. It just eats me up all the time.”

Giving evidence during the trial, Surtees categorically denied the offences and insisted he could not have exposed himself accidentally due to the length of his shorts.

Jeanette Smith, prosecuting, said: “We can rule out that this is an accident, so the only options are she is mistaken, lying or telling the truth.

“She couldn’t be mistaken as what she has described as happening is very deliberate, thought out behaviour.